Vehicle batteries and capacitors have moved to increasingly energetic chemistries to improve power density. Batteries of this design may have a decrease in volume and weight for a given power capacity. However, batteries using chemistries such as lithium cobalt oxide having certain less than desirable characteristics. For example, an upper operating temperature of a battery employing one of these chemistries may be above the battery's thermal breakdown temperature. This characteristic may result in thermal runaway of the battery and the potential for serious consequences such as power failure or fire.
External active cooling of the batteries is generally not an acceptable solution. In addition to supplying power to normal operating systems, the batteries also provide emergency power, for example, in aviation uses. During emergency power operation, other systems, including cooling systems, may not be operating. Terminating cooling system operations during an emergency operation saves power for the operation of more critical systems but may result in overheating of the battery during the supply of emergency power.
A method and structure for controlling the overheating of batteries during operation, for venting harmful gasses in case of thermal runaway, and for providing notification of battery overheating would be desirable.